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Yosemite Big Walls The best guidebook for Yosemite’s most classic big wall climbs. The Definitive Guide To Yosemite Big Wall “SuperTopo set a new standard for quality comprehensive guidebooks. Their new book, Yosemite Big Walls Third Edition, steps it up yet Chris McNamara another notch. One of the most useful tools for in Yosemite; it gives you the Chris Van Leuven locals advantage. ”

Tommy Caldwell

“SuperTopo is the authority when it comes to delivering super accurate, super detailed topos.” dUaNe RaleIGH, edIToR, RoCK & ICe maGaZINe

“SuperTopo offers a clear and concise format and sets the stage for your own adventure.”

CoNRad aNKeR

“It’s super exciting to see all the topos. It’s such a cool book.” McNamara & Van Leuven YOS EMITE Yosemite Big Walls is the most current, detailed, and accurate guide to Yosemite’s most classic big walls. This guidebook includes unprecedented route detail such as climbing strategy, retreat information, descent topos, lengths, and gear recommendations for each pitch.

Yosemite Big Walls also includes historical information garnered from interviews with first ascentionists that bring these spectacular big wall climbs to life. Third Edition Included are 64 of best big wall routes on , , Liberty Cap, Leaning Tower, Mt. Watkins, Lost Arrow Spire, Ribbons Falls, and Washington Column. Nearly all routes were climbed and documented BIG by authors Chris McNamara and Chris Van Leuven to ensure accuracy.

64 of the most accurate and detailed big wall topos ever l 14 new topos (since the 2nd Edition) to make 64 total routes from to Reticent Wall l Gear info for each pitch and updated climbing racks l Free climbing beta l Detailed approach and descent maps ISBN 978-0-9833225-0-4 90000 > l Strategy and retreat recommendations WALLS

www.supertopo.com 9 780983 322504 14 New Routes!

Yosemite Big Walls Third Edition

Chris McNamara Chris Van Leuven

3 FOR CURRENT ROUTE INFORMATION, VISIT SUPERTOPO.COM Published by SuperTopo 2 Bradford Way Mill Valley, CA 94941 www.supertopo.com

© Copyright 2011 by SuperTopo

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic mechanical or other means, without the permission in writing from the publisher.

Edited by Steve McNamara and Chris McNamara Copyedited by “Pass The ” Pete Zabrok

Cover Photography Nico Favresse on The Secret Passage, VI 5.13c R, El Capitan Photo John Dickey Back cover photo "Captain” Kirk Bland tends the bags on the Rurp Pitch, Pitch 8, Tribal Rite, El Capitan Photo Bryan Law Cover Design Chris Van Leuven and David Safanda - www.safanda.com Frontispiece Jim Herson links Salathé Headwall pitches into one long stretcher of 5.13c Photo Jim Thornburg

Contents Ammon McNeely on the first one-day ascent of Horse Chute. Photo Chris McNamara

McNamara, Chris Van Leuven, Chris Yosemite Big Walls 3rd Edition: SuperTopo

ISBN: 978-0-9833225-0-4

4 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS Contents

What's new? 8 Introduction 11 Getting there 11 When to climb 12 Geology 16 Aid ratings 18 Understanding the maps 21 Clean aid tricks 22 24 Yosemite Overview Map 26 SuperTopos Ribbon Fall 28 El Capitan 32 Lost Arrow Spire 132 Washington Column 140 Mt. Watkins 160 Half Dome 166 Liberty Cap 180 Leaning Tower 184 Appendix Mystery of Two Icy Deaths 192 The Players 194 Route Index 206 Routes by overall difficulty 207 About the Authors 208

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Warning

Climbing is an inherently dangerous sport in which severe injuries or death may occur. Relying on Cthe information in this book may increase the danger.

When climbing you can only rely on your skill, training, experience, and conditioning. If you have any doubts as to your ability to safely climb any route in this guide, do not try it. This book is neither a professional climbing instructor nor a substitute for one. It is not an instructional book. Do not use it as one. It contains information that is nothing more than a compilation of opinions about climbing the Big Walls in . Those opinions are neither facts nor promises. Treat the information as personal opinions and nothing more. Do not substitute these opinions for your own common sense and experience.

Assumption of Risk There may be errors in this book resulting from the inadvertent mistakes of the authors and/or the people with whom they consulted. The information was gathered from a variety of sources, which may not have been independently verified. Those who provided the information may have made mistakes in their descriptions. The authors may have made mistakes in their conveyance of the information in this book. They cannot, therefore, guarantee the correctness of any of the information contained in the book. This book was published by the authors. No independent publisher checked the contents. The topographical maps, the photo-diagrams, the difficulty ratings, the protection ratings, the approach and/or descent information, the suggestions about equipment, and other matters may be incorrect or misleading. Fixed protection may not be where indicated, may be absent or may be unreliable. You must keep in mind that the information in this book may be erroneous and use your own judgment when choosing, approaching, climbing or descending from a route described in this book.

DO NOT USE THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU ASSUME THE RISK OF ITS ERRORS OF REPORTAGE OR OF JUDGMENT AND OF ITS OTHER DEFECTS.

Disclaimer of Warranties

THE AUTHORS AND PUBLISHER WARNS THAT THIS BOOK CONTAINS ONLY THE AUTHORS' OPINION ON THE SUBJECTS DISCUSSED. THEY MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR PURPOSE, OR OTHERWISE, AND IN ANY EVENT, THEIR LIABILITY FOR BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY OR CONTRACT WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTENT OF THIS BOOK IS LIMITED TO THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE BOOK. THEY FURTHER LIMIT TO SUCH PURCHASE PRICE THEIR LIABILITY ON ACCOUNT OF ANY KIND OF NEGLIGENT BEHAVIOR WHATSOEVER ON THEIR PART WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK.

6 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS Acknowledgements

The following folks contributed beta, feedback, topos, photos and support. Thank you!

Rachel Arst Mike Ousley Jerry Anderson Steve Grossman Ron Renspie Karl Baba Brad Goya Greg Barnes Peter Haan Corey Rich Stephen Barratt Ted Hansen Holly Beck Doug Hemken Erik Roed Jeff Apple Benowitz Jack Hoeflich Dana Benson Josh Holmes Mick Ryan Chris Bevins Alex Honnold Brian Sadowsky Bill Binder Leo Houlding David Safanda Bruce Bindner Ernie Saldago Micah Bisson Mark Hudon George Schevon Bryan Bornholdt Huff House crew Kim Schmitz Erik Bratton Steve Schneider Eric Kohl Dave Sheldon Mike Brown Mark Kroese Mike Shore Roger Brown Bryan Law Erik Sloan Ben Lepesant Pep Soldevila Rick Cashner Adam Long Jason Smith Chongo Chuck Dougald MacDonald Brian Smoot Bryan “Coiler” Kay Gene Malone Randy Spurrier Mike Corbett Andrew McGarry Greg Stock Clint Cummins Kay McNamara John Dickey Kristin McNamara Josh Thompson Dick Duane Morgan McNamara Jim Thornburg Sean Easton Steve McNamara Sean Villanueva Doug Englekirk Ammon McNeely Clay Wadman Lincoln Else Jesse McGahey Jean Louis Wertz Greg Epperson Mark Melvin Matt Wilder Tom Evans Scott Morrison Wayne Willoughby Nico Favresse Jamie Mundo Jonas Waterman Mike Fiechtner DeAnne Musolf Crouch Cedar Wright Amanda Nolan Ben Zartman Jacqueline Florine Todd Offenbacher “Pass The Pitons” Pete Zabrok

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What's new? in two ways: 1) Peckers often are hand-placed for hooking pin scars. 2) If you do need to hammer them, they are way less destructive than a Lost Arrow, knifeblade, or Every year the climbers up their game and the angle (just be careful about fixing them in Ewalls stay the same. That is the goal at least. corners). They are also way more bomber. An Hammerless climbing continues to evolve A4 pitch with knifeblades might be A3 with and the iron racks are getting smaller and Peckers. We cut down the knifeblade racks in smaller. With your help we can accelerate this the topos but some people might cut them out trend toward the ultimate goal: climbing every almost entirely and load up on Peckers instead. classic line in Yosemite without a hammer. The biggest change in SuperTopo beta for Why? Because hammerless climbing is more Yosemite Big Walls is not in this book but fun, often faster, and keeps the cracks in their rather online. We now have: natural state of perfection. If there is a way - gear reviews of our favorite big wall gear at to improve a perfect El Cap crack, I don't www.supertopo.com/reviews/ know about it. I do know that pin scars, - an entire online How to Big Wall climbing trenched heads, and drill hooks sure are not an guide with video improvement. - topos for routes not included in this book One of the original goals with Yosemite Big - lots of trip reports, beta, photos, updates Walls’ first edition was to update the topos Some of the “information” chapters in the with clean aid ratings and modern hammerless Second Edition have been omitted from this racks. That goal continues in this third edition. book but are free to download at SuperTopo. More pitches have clean ratings and more com, chapters such as Staying Alive. This routes go completely clean. I encourage you to decision was inspired by an awesome hand- find pitches that still have “A” ratings, do them written letter from Tom Frost. He encouraged clean and share on the SuperTopo Route Beta us to cut the extras and deliver the goods. One Section the new “C” rating. quote from the letter: “.. your implication seems We didn't focus on big wall free climbing to be that climbing is all about information. topos in the Second Edition because only a Wrong direction! Poor man’s for studying the handful of people were free climbing walls. rock face, getting to know El Capitan, getting That was 2005. In 2011 there are now dozens of connected to Mother Earth, actually going big wall free ascents every year and the pace is climbing.” accelerating. More importantly, publishing free Tom is right. Big walls are about adventure climbing topos hopefully further inspires clean and a big walls book should inspire you to climbing. Nailing a on a C2 or C3 pitch climb the route AND help you climb in your that goes free changes the free route forever. best style whether it is as free as possible, clean There are big changes to the racks. There are as possible, or both. That was the goal. Let us 20-50 percent fewer pitons called for on most know if we lived up to it. climbs than in the Second Edition. Clean aid The best part of making this book was gear is now better. Offset small cams are no reading every single beta post and trip report longer listed as optional. They are essential on on supertopo.com. Thank you to everyone who any C2 or C3 route (you can get by without has submitted beta and improved this book them but the routes are scarier and you are and thanks in advance for your feedback to more likely to nail). The same goes for offset make a Fourth Edition even better. micro nuts: I don't even list regular micro nuts on the racks. If you still have not met a cam hook, introduce yourself. There are many more beaks called for in each topo. The advent of Chris McNamara medium and large Peckers/beaks has changed

8 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS SuperTopo Mission

• Help climbers ascend and descend routes efficiently and safely by creating the most accurate and informative climbing topos ever published. • Capture the mystery, adventure, and humor of climbing by publishing the histories, anecdotes and outrageous stories of each route. • Promote by publishing the most up-to-date rack info as well as hammerless ratings for each pitch. • Stress the importance of low-impact climbing and promote stewardship of the environment.

Visit www.SuperTopo.com Before Each Climb

There is much more beta available for free on the SuperTopo web site: www.supertopo.com. This information may be more current than the beta available here.

The web site offers additional free beta for each climb:

• photo galleries • trip reports • route condition updates • closures and rockfall warnings • route beta email alerts

The web site is packed with general Yosemite Big Wall info:

• free downloadable color topos • road and weather conditions • everything you need to know about staying in Yosemite Valley • good routes for first-time Yosemite climbers • general trip planning info

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Introduction Yosemite: 120 from the west, 120 from the east, Welcome to big wall paradise. In Yosemite Valley 140 from the west, and 41 from the southwest. Wstand some of the most exquisite rock formations The fastest access from the San Francisco Bay on the planet. For more updated and extensive Area is 120. Highway 41 is the best option if information, visit www.supertopo.com/ coming from Los Angeles or Fresno. Highway climbingareas/yosemite.html 140 is the lowest elevation road and offers the best winter access if 120 and 41 have chain controls (chains are rarely required on 140). Getting There Highway 120 from the east (aka The Road) offers the best summertime access Air Travel from Bishop, Utah, Nevada and eastern states. The closest major international airports are However, this road closes after the first major Oakland International (3.5-hour drive) and winter storm (usually in November) and doesn’t San Francisco International (four-hour drive). open until the snow melts (usually late May). Of the two, Oakland is preferred because it is To access Yosemite from the east in winter, less chaotic and 30 minutes closer to Yosemite. you must get to the west side access roads by Sacramento International is also a four-hour driving north through Tahoe or south through drive from Yosemite but has fewer connecting Bakersfield. flights. Fresno Yosemite International is only a You may rent a car at any airport or major three-hour drive but offers the fewest flights. city. International climbers who stay in the Since all of these airports are about the same United States for more than a month often buy distance from Yosemite, shop around for the a used car in San Francisco or Los Angeles and best fares. Some climbers also fly into Los sell it (or scrap it) at the end of their trip. To Angeles International, which is a seven-hour find a cheap car, look in the local papers or on drive to Yosemite. www.craigslist.org. Train Travel Many people stay in Yosemite without a car. The train is not the fastest way to Yosemite but Renting a car is expensive and it’s possible to it’s a cool way to travel. From Emeryville (a reach most climbs by the free park shuttle bus. 20-minute bus ride from San Francisco) take Also keep in mind that gas is not available in the Amtrak to Merced and board the Via Bus to Valley – try to arrive with a full tank. Yosemite. There are three runs from Merced in Driving times and distances to Yosemite Valley the morning and one in the evening. The cost is $20 round trip from Merced to Yosemite. From From Time (hours) Distance (miles) Los Angeles, Amtrak has a bus to Bakersfield Boulder, CO* 20:00 1,254 that connects with a train to Merced. From Fresno, CA 2:20 90 there take the Via Bus to Yosemite. Truckee, CA 4:00 240 Bus Travel Los Angeles, CA 6:00 311 Short of having a car, the bus is the best way Bishop, CA* 3:20 95 to get from a major airport to Yosemite. From Oakland, San Francisco or Los Angeles take the Oakland, CA 4:00 172 Greyhound Bus to Merced and then the Via Bus Sacramento, CA 4:00 174 to Yosemite. Plan a full day of travel if riding the Salt Lake City, UT* 12:00 707 bus. From June to November you can only reach San Francisco, CA 4:00 192 Yosemite from Mammoth by the YARTS bus. You can check the latest fares and departure times 1:30 60 at via-adventures.com and yarts.com. *Driving times are two to four hours longer when Tioga Car Travel Pass is closed, usually from November through May. Facing page: John Middendorf leading Pitch 7, of Atlantic Ocean Wall, El Cap, September 1985. September 1985. El Cap, Wall, Atlantic Ocean first ascent of John Middendorf leading Pitch 7, page: Facing There are four state highways that access

11 FOR CURRENT ROUTE INFORMATION, VISIT SUPERTOPO.COM INTRODUCTION

When to Climb died climbing The Nose in a storm. Road and weather reports can be found on the Internet Yosemite has the best weather of any big wall sites listed in the appendix or by calling (209) on earth. That said, note that it 372-0200. could storm at any time in Yosemite, and often heavily. Prepare for the worst on a multi-day General Weather and Crowd Trends in big wall by bringing adequate bivy gear (see Yosemite Valley Staying Alive, at supertopo.com). The best times to climb here are in the spring and fall. Nov 15–March The walls and Valley are relatively The summer can also be great once you get empty with usually at least one five-day spell of a few pitches up and out of the heat. In the good weather per month. During a mild winter winter, the Valley empties of both tourists one to two weeks of great weather per month and climbers, giving a much more pristine are common. On any winter ascent prepare for feel to the climbs. Winter can have good the absolute worst, as Pacific storms can last up climbing weather but can also have months to a week or longer and bring heavy snow and of uniquely wet and severe Sierra storms. The rain. effects of these storms are made clear in the April–May 15 Walls and the Valley are still story on page 192 of the two Japanese who uncrowded, but there is a 50/50 chance of

12 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS INTRODUCTION

getting either good or miserable weather. This Camping is also the time of some of the wettest Pacific Camp 4 is The Valley’s only walk-in storms. campground and the cheapest place to stay. You must register with the ranger in order to stay May 15–June Perfect weather and big crowds and provide identification. Space is available both in the Valley and on the walls. on a per-person basis and each camper must July–Aug The Valley is still crowed with tourists, be present. Six people are put in each campsite; but walls are uncrowded. While Valley floor people in one group may be put in different temperatures are often in the 90s and 100s, campsites. No reservations are required, but temperatures on the walls 500 feet above the during peak season (May–October) expect a Valley or higher are usually comfortable in the long wait to secure a campsite. The cost is $5 70s and low 80s. Still, be prepared with plenty per person per night. The ranger arrives at the of extra water. kiosk around 8:30 am, although a line has often formed well before then and the campground Sept–Nov 15 The Valley is crowded with tourists may fill before everyone in line is registered. and walls are crowded. Mostly cooler weather with There are 35 sites and each site is a 20-foot- an occasional heat wave. The first winter storm square patch of dirt with fire pit and picnic usually arrives in late October or early November. table. There is a bathroom and a sink, but no hot water or showers. A free parking permit is required from spring through fall. A bulletin Average Max/min temp Month precipitation in degrees F board next to the kiosk offers the chance to January 6.2” 49/26 find climbing partners, friends, and (used) climbing gear. All other Yosemite campgrounds February 6.1” 55/28 require reservations during peak season. Call March 5.2” 59/31 800-436-PARK to make reservations or go to: April 3.0” 65/35 www.recreation.gov May 1.3” 73/42 There are a variety of places to outside the park boundary on Forest Service Land. June 0.7” 82/48 Check out the Forest Service web site for more July 0.4” 90/54 info: www.r5.fs.fed.us. August 0.3” 90/53 Lodges and Cabins September 0.9” 87/47 For big bucks, stay at the , Facing page: Half Dome. Photo by Greg Epperson October 2.1” 74/39 or for a more modest price you can crash in November 5.5” 58/31 a motel-like room at the Yosemite Lodge or a canvas-topped cabin in . All December 5.6” 48/26 lodging is expensive for what you get. Internet Staying in the Park WiFi is available throughout the Valley, Yosemite Valley is a small tourist town filled including the Pizza Loft/Village area (this area with buildings, roads, cars, and people. The bad also has a strongest cell connection), Curry news is that the restaurants, stores, and motel- Village and the Yosemite Lodge (but you must like rooms take away from the natural beauty be a paying guest registered with the Lodge). of the park. The good news is that these same The only place officially free Internet is offered things make the Valley quite accommodating. is in the Library/ Girls Club which is near the You will find pizza, burgers, groceries, climbing Visitor’s Center in Yosemite Village. Time is gear, a medical clinic, motels, swimming pools, limited and expect long waits. If you must rafts, bike rentals, and if you’re unlucky, The have Internet, you can pay the Lodge lobby or Hotel, aka, jail. Village Deli, for $0.25/minute.

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Valley Rules Food • Don't poop on the wall or toss bags. Climbers Groceries are available in the Valley at the have gotten fines for this. More importantly, if Village Store, Curry Village Store or Lodge you don't carry your waste to the summit, you Store, but it is much cheaper to buy groceries in ruin the experience for dozens of climbers that Oakdale, Merced, or Oakhurst on the way. come behind you. There are at least six great There are a variety of restaurants in the Valley (and often free) ways to make a poop tube/ that serve everything from pizza and deli turd cage: read about them here: http://www. sandwiches to the saltier stuff at the Ahwahnee supertopo.com/gear/poop-tube Hotel. Here is a quick listing of some of the • Camping out-of-bounds violations fines range Valley restaurants by location: from $75 to $150. Camping at the base or top Yosemite Lodge: “The Cafe” (cafeteria), of cliffs is considered out-of-bounds. Mountain Room Bar and Grill. • Camping illegally in Camp 4 is the easiest way Yosemite Village: Degnan’s Deli, The Loft (pizza to get busted in the Valley. and pasta), The Village Grill. • Parking in Camp 4 without a pass gets you Curry Village: Pizza Deck (with bar), buffet, a $95 fine. Rangers often check this lot. The Taqueria. same applies to the Yosemite Lodge parking Showers and Laundry lot and other lots that are not designated as Showers cost $3 (towel included) and are day-use. Parking in the Curry Apple Orchard is available at and Curry unregulated, as are many other locations. Don't Village. Laundry is available at Housekeeping sleep in your car; you’ll pay a hefty fine. Camp. • Keep your car clean: throw away trash and food or store it in a bear box. If a bear Climbing Gear and Climbing Guides breaks into your car you may have your car The Mountain Shop (209-372-8396), located in impounded and receive a fine. Bears love beer. Curry Village, is one of the premiere climbing • Bear boxes in Camp 4 are for registered shops in The West. From pads to campers only. The rangers occasionally haulbags to the latest route beta, they have it all. confiscate food from bear lockers if they think You can get climbing instruction, arrange for it belongs to someone not staying in the site. a guide, and also rent gear from the Yosemite • Do not leave trash in bear boxes. This is a School and Guide Service. good way to get the boxes removed. There are also a variety of climbing shops in the • When you leave a slackline in Camp 4 they San Francisco Bay Area where you can purchase must be tagged with the owner's name and gear. In San Francisco: Mission Cliffs, Planet contact info. They can stay up within 200 feet Granite and REI. In Berkeley: REI, Berkeley of Camp 4 for the duration of owner's stay. Ironworks, and Marmot Mountain Works. If you decide to set one up, all trees must be If you are coming from the east side of the adequately padded to avoid damage. Sierra, then visit Wilson’s Eastside Sports in • Drinking in public in Yosemite is legal. Bishop or Mammoth Mountaineering Supply However it is not okay to drink and in Mammoth. ride a bicycle or be publicly under the Bears influence. These are arrestable offenses. • Yosemite is federal land; any violation of the Bears have damaged cars for as little as a stick law is a federal offense. of gum or an empty soda can. If you want • Never drive more than five miles over the what’s yours to remain yours, remember three speed limit inside park boundaries. things: bears are hungry, smart, and strong. • An official list of the rules is here: www.nps. Bears are responsible for close to a thousand gov/yose/parkmgmt/upload/compendium.pdf car break-ins every year in Yosemite, as all the shattered glass in the parking lots demonstrates. When bears smell food, even if it’s locked in

14 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS INTRODUCTION

your trunk or glove compartment, they shift into high gear. They get turned on by odors of containers that used to contain food, and for toothpaste and sunscreen. Bears don’t even need to smell food; they see something like a grocery bag or an ice chest and associate it with food. In fact, they don’t need to see that much. If a bear notices clutter inside a car he’ll think, “I wonder what’s under all that stuff?” and go to work. Breaking into a car is a trivial exercise for a bear. He inserts his claws at the top of the door frame and pulls down, then climbs in and trashes the car. You can’t outsmart or out-muscle a bear. Stash your food in one of the bear-proof storage lockers provided by the Park Service at all campgrounds and throughout the Valley. Proper food storage is essential to protecting your property and, more importantly, the life of the bear. When a bear starts to endanger people it may be killed by the Park Hungry bear at the base of Zodiac. Karl Bralich, peaklightimages.com Service. Visit http://www.nps.gov/ yose/planyourvisit/bearfacts.htm for more info. Conditions Since 1997 the American Safe Climbing Association has replaced more than 2,000 bolts on Yosemite’s big walls. Many trade routes have bomber belays with three good bolts instead of the eight bad bolts that were there before. Good bolts, especially on lead, encourage people to push their free climbing and hammerless climbing to the next level. When climbing above bad rivets and dowels you are more likely to reach for the hammer. The ASCA is working to replace the remaining bad bolts in Yosemite. To make a donation and get the most up-to- date information on route anchor conditions, visit the ASCA web site 15 at www.safeclimbing.org.

Geology Geology of Big Wall Climbing By Greg Stock, Geologist, Big wall climbing is all aboutB geology. Sure, it also involves a lot of , hauling, and cursing at portaledges. But when you get down to it climbing a big wall requires reading the rock in front of you. As a result, big wall climbers tend to be intrinsically aware of, and interested in, geology and geological processes. Here is some basic geology information that will hopefully expand your appreciation of Yosemite’s amazing walls.

Rock type and fractures Rockfall on El Cap, October 11, 2010. Photo Adam Long There are at least a dozen different kinds of granitic rocks in Yosemite southeast face. However, even the most massive Valley alone, ranging in composition from true faces still have fractures, namely sheeting joints granites like those on Leaning Tower and El (also known as exfoliation joints) that separate Capitan, to the granodiorites of Half Dome relatively thin slabs of rock from the cliff. Most and Liberty Cap, to the dark diorite of the flakes, including the feared “expando” flakes on North America Wall. Rock type can make a real the northwest face of Half Dome, are peeling difference in the climbing aesthetic; compare away along sheeting joints. the ominous fractured diorite of the North Glaciation America Wall to the clean granite splitters of the Salathé Headwall. These rocks cooled Once Yosemite’s granites were exposed on the from magma several miles beneath a chain surface, they were sculpted by a number of of ancient volcanoes between about 105 and different processes, most notably glaciation. 90 million years ago. Slow cooling resulted Yosemite Valley was initially carved by rivers, in large, interlocking crystals that make for but beginning about 3-5 million years ago very strong rock. In addition, unlike rocks in glaciers entered the valley and converted what the Alps or the Rockies that were thrust up was probably a modest V-shaped river canyon through the tectonic “rock crusher,” the granites into the dramatic U-shaped glacial valley of of the were brought gently to today. Repeated glaciations created the sheer the surface by prolonged erosion, resulting walls of Yosemite Valley by abrading the cliffs in relatively few fractures. It is this generally and plucking away blocks. The most recent unfractured nature, along with tremendous glaciation peaked about 20,000 years ago and rock strength, that allows for the impressive retreated from Yosemite Valley about 15,000 overhangs of Leaning Tower and El Capitan’s years ago, leaving behind glacial polish on many Valley walls.

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Rockfalls Rockfalls have shaped Yosemite’s big walls (the Great Roof is but one of many The passage of large glaciers scoured a lot of iconic features that owe their existence to loose rock from the Valley walls, yet every climb rockfalls) but they also pose potential hazards. listed in this book requires an approach up A SuperTopo post once compared the a talus slope, the boulder piles that flank the relationship between climbing and rockfalls to cliffs. The next time you hike up a talus slope, that between surfing and shark attacks. Like stop and think about what this voluminous shark attacks, the probability of experiencing deposit represents: 15,000 years worth of a rockfall while climbing is remote, but it is rockfalls from the cliff above. Although there is always possible. Most climbers agree that some some local variation (surprisingly, El Capitan risk is worth accepting in order to travel across has more talus per contributing cliff area than the incredible granites – and through 100 , despite the latter's recent million years of Earth's history – that comprise activity), the unavoidable conclusion from Yosemite's big walls. the talus is that every cliff has experienced substantial rockfall in the past. Recent documentation demonstrates that rockfalls are also common today, with a rockfall occurring somewhere in Yosemite Valley every week on Rockfall on Half Dome on July 27, 2006. average. Photo Amanda Nolan Climbers have generally managed to avoid naturally occurring rockfalls, with a few tragic exceptions. However, the number of climbers on Yosemite's walls grows each year, increasing the likelihood of an incident. Scientists actively study Yosemite rockfalls but reliable prediction is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Climbers must take personal responsibility for addressing rockfall risk. How to do that? Unfortunately there are no hard or fast rules, but here are a few things to keep in mind: Rockfall detachment areas are often active over many weeks or months, so avoid climbing beneath these areas. Fresh talus and/or broken vegetation at the base of your intended climb are good indicators of recent activity. Be especially aware of cracking or popping sounds emanating from the cliffs, as these sounds have preceded many rockfalls. A helmet may not save you from a large rockfall, but it could offer protection from “flyrock,” rock shrapnel that accompanies most rockfalls. Above all, use your common sense and trust your instincts; if that inner voice is telling you that the situation is not safe, it probably isn’t.

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Aid Climbing Ratings are theoretically “A0,” have scored many 30- to 50-foot falls when rivets broke. Big airtime has also been logged on The Groove pitch of The Shield when numerous fixed pieces pulled. Question fixed gear and be prepared if it pulls. Aid ratings are based on the number of bodyweight placements in a row. How is a “bodyweight” placement differentiated from a “bomber” placement? The only way to know for certain is to take a fall. The next best way to

find out is to ask yourself, “Would I belay off Ratings this?” If the answer is “no” then it is probably a Grade ratings give a sense of the overall bodyweight placement. commitment required on a climb. Grades I and II refer to short crag routes. These ratings are A0 Pulling on pieces for progress while in free seldom used. climbing mode. Generally no aiders are used unless you are climbing a ladder. Grade III refers to half-day routes. Examples: Royal Arches, Nutcracker. A1 or C1 Easy aid: All placements are bomber. Little danger of falling except through pilot Grade IV refers to full-day routes. Example: East error. Most C1 pitches take from one to two Buttress of El Cap. hours. Examples: Many pitches on Half Dome’s Grade V refers to shorter big wall routes. Fast Regular Route, The Nose, and South Face of the parties may only take a day, but most parties Column. spend two to three days on the wall. Examples: A2 or C2 Moderate aid: one or two bodyweight West Face of Leaning Tower, Prow, South Face placements over bomber gear. Five- to 30-foot of Washington Column. fall potential. Examples: Many pitches on Grade VI refers to longer big wall routes. All Zodiac, Prow, and Direct on Half Dome. Most but the fastest teams require at least two days C2 pitches take one to three hours. and usually many more. Examples: Regular A3 or C3 Hard aid: Three to five bodyweight Northwest Face of Half Dome, all routes on placements in a row. Thirty- to 50-foot fall El Capitan. potential. Examples: Many pitches on Pacific Grade VII refers to extreme alpine big walls Ocean Wall, Mescalito, and Ten Days After. that require at least ten days of suffering on a Most C3 pitches take two to three hours. huge wall in poor weather in a remote area. A4 or C4 Serious aid: Six to eight bodyweight Examples: Great and Secret Show, Baffin Island; placements in a row and a 50- to 80-foot fall Grand Voyage, Great Trango Tower, Pakistan. potential. Examples: Many pitches on Sea of Dreams, Atlantic Ocean Wall, and Native Son. Aid Ratings Most C4 pitches take more than three hours. Keep in mind that aid ratings are only one measure of the difficulty of a wall climb. Weather, the length of the climb, skill, physical condition of the climber, the number of previous ascents, approach and descent, and many other factors all combine to determine the overall difficulty of a wall. Pitch ratings also can’t include the dangers of bad bolts and poor fixed gear. Bolt ladders on some routes, which

18 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS AID CLIMBING RATINGS

A5 or C5 Extreme aid: More than nine reach). Pitches marked with a “+” are thought bodyweight placements in a row. Eighty-foot provoking and often more time consuming. plus fall potential. Most A5 pitches take more Examples: The Nipple Pitch on Zodiac (C3+F), than four hours. Examples: Most El Cap routes, Shield Roof (A2+), and Pitch 5 of the South such as Reticent Wall and Nightmare on Face of Washington Column (C1+). Street, put up in the 90s. Many people wonder why aid ratings change over time (e.g. a route that was A5 in 1970 “C” This pitch goes hammerless without relying might be A3 today). The reason is that all routes on fixed gear. It is highly unlikely that you go through a life cycle in which pin placements need a hammer on these pitches. Examples: become more solid and the strongest All pitches on The Nose, Regular Route on placements are found and left Half Dome, and the South Face of Washington fixed. Also, bolts are added both as “chicken- Column. bolts” and because rock features fall off. To give a general understanding of this process we “A” This pitch generally requires a hammer have provided the metamorphosis of a typical to place pitons or copperheads. Examples: All Yosemite A5 route: pitches on the Reticent Wall and many pitches on Native Son, Lost in America, Zenith, and Sea of Dreams. Ascents Rating Route Condition “F” comes after a “C” rating and denotes a 1–5 A5 Little fixed gear. Fragile features. pitch that relies on fixed gear in order to go 6–20 A4 Half the heads are fixed. Some hammerless. Ninety-five percent of the time features pull so bolts are added. Pin pitches marked with “F” go hammerless, but placements are more solid. A few to be safe put a hammer and a couple of chicken rivets added. Belay bolts copperheads and pins in the bottom of the added. haulbag in case fixed gear is missing. Don't remove fixed heads on a trade route unless 21–40 A3/A4 Most heads are fixed. Most fragile it is a timebomb that you are replacing. The features and loose rock are gone. process of placing and removing copperheads More belay bolts and chicken bolts eventually destroys the crack. A carefully added. cleaned piton usually leads to a clean aid 41+ A3 Route reaches “equilibrium” as all placement. Examples: Many pitches on the heads in crux and sections are fixed Leaning Tower, Prow, and Zodiac. and pin placements beat out to “R” Dangerous fall potential because of the take hammerless gear. possibility of hitting a ledge, swinging into a corner or running the rope over a sharp edge. Because some routes within the same grade are Examples: Black Tower pitch on Zodiac (A2R or harder or easier than other routes in that grade, C3R) where a fall is possible onto a ramp, Pitch we have listed all the routes in order of overall 13 on the Reticent Wall (A4R) where the leader difficulty in the appendix. must do numerous hook and head moves above a ledge. Note: Just because a pitch does not have an “R” or an “X” rating does not mean you can’t become injured or die on that pitch. “+” indicates a tricky or strenuous section. Found on either strenuous terrain (roof or deep corner) or an unusually tricky “boulder problem” aid move (expanding flake, huge

19 FOR CURRENT ROUTE INFORMATION, VISIT SUPERTOPO.COM Cam Sizes by Brand

Ref Size* BD C4/C3’s CCH Aliens Metolius Cams Trango Big Bros Friends 0" 0.3" 000 gray .33 black 00 gray Zero #2-#6 covers .28-.94” 0.4" 00 purple 0.5" 0 green C3 .375 blue 0 purple 0 red 0.6" 1 red .5 green 1 blue .5 orange 0.75" .75 yellow 2 yellow .3 blue C4/2 yellow C3 1 yellow 1" 1 red 3 orange .4 gray 1.25 purple 1.25" .5 purple 1.5 orange 4 red 1.5 sky 1.5" .75 green 2 purple 5 black 1.75 green 1.75" 2.5 gray 6 green 2" 2.5 clear 7 blue 1 red 2 pink

2.5 royal 2.5" small grey 2 yellow 3 navy 3"

3 blue 3.5 purple 3.5" medium maroon 4 black

3.5-4.5" large dark blue 1 red 4 grey 4 silver

4.5-5.5" 2 5 red

5 purple *“Ref size” is the optimal crack width for a given camming unit. It is not the max range given by the manufacturer.

5.5-7" 3 green

6 green (7.6” max) 6 green (7.6” max)

7-8" 3 green

8-12" 4 blue

20 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS Understanding the Maps

Right facing Ledge corner Bolt or rivet Slab Left-facing corner Hook Belay 1 placements station Straight in crack Face Pitch 130' climbing length Groove Pendulum Optional Arête belay Tree

False Chimney belay Bush

Roof

Topo abbreviations Hooks Set of hooks includes: 1 bat hook or Talon, cliff KB = Knifeblade piton hanger, Grappling Hook, or other big hook. LA = Lost Arrow piton Cams and offset cams ow = offwidth Cam sizes in the rack usually start at .33". Two of offset cams is recommended for most routes in lb = lieback­ the .33-1.25" sizes. If you don't have offset cams, p = fixed piton bring more regular cams. Beaks, Peckers, and Tomahawks Overview graphics Substitute the word "beak" for Pecker or Tomahawk. Peckers come in the crucial medium Road and large sizes. Use these instead of Arrows, KB's, and angles: they are more secure and less Bike path destructive. Bring at least 2 sml, 2 med, and 2 large on A3/A4. Park service trail Heads Most heads are fixed. The head rack may be Climber approach just in case they are missing. Only clean poor or descent trail heads and do so with a sharp center punch, not a funkness. Removing good heads destroys the Parking area rock. Never place a head where a piton works.

21 FOR CURRENT ROUTE INFORMATION, VISIT SUPERTOPO.COM

Clean Aid Tricks

One of the main goals of this book is to inspire Free climb more clean ascents. Below are the top 11 ways Many low-angle A2 sections can be easily free to do that. Go to this page to see photos: climbed. Sometimes a move or two of 5.8 or www.supertopo.com/gear/cleanaid/ 5.9 saves ten minutes of trying to get a shallow pin scar placement to hold. Even pasting one Carry too many small cams foot on an edge and one foot in your top step It's impossible to carry too many small cams can help you reach a bomber clean placement. (sizes .33-1"), just try. They weigh nothing and Wearing comfortable free shoes on a low-angle are the most used pieces on any aid climb. If aid pitch is a good idea. you have too few, you have to backclean, which Leave the hammer in the bag means you are more likely to get scared and reach for the hammer. On a route that you might be able to do clean, leave the hammer in the haul bag. Just by Offset cams having to tag it up, you are more likely to push In the last edition, offset cams were your clean climbing as far as possible. "recommended" in the racks. Now we list most Intertwine stoppers racks as requiring 1-2 sets. Yes, you can get up most walls without them. But offset cams are You can make a two-foot mini cheat stick by usually the most bomber clean placement in a intertwining three stoppers to snag distant pin scar. The difference between a tipped out rivets. regular cam or a bomber offset cam is often the Hooks and beak hooking difference between C1 and C2 or C3. Often you can hook a crack or fixed head either Offset micro nuts with a regular hook or with a beak. Medium These little guys get in pin scars where nothing and large sized Black Diamond Peckers work else can. Non-offset micro nuts often won't especially well. A BAT hook can also sometimes stick at all or are more likely to get fixed. get in the eye of a RURP with a broken cable. If you are going to nail, it is much better to use Cam hooks a beak, Pecker or Tomahawk as they are much Cam hooks not only save time, they are often less destructive than Lost Arrows, knifeblades, the only clean placement that works in a thin and angles. crack. They are scary at first, but if you "aid Hand place pitons boulder practice" enough with them, you will cruise C2 as fast as you free climb. Many pin scars take a hand-placed piton. For extra security, give it a few pounds with your Top step palm (leather gloves recommended). Sawed- Increasing your reach is usually the best way to off pitons often work the best if a hand-placed find an elusive clean placement. Getting into beak or Pecker won't work. that top step gives you another foot or more. Cheat sticks There are top-stepping tips and other tips at the online How To Big Wall Page here: We don't use em. But if it keeps you from www.supertopo.com/gear/how-to-big-wall reaching for the hammer, go for it.

22 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS Free Climbing Grades Compared

USA (YDS) UIAA France UK Australia V-Scale 5.1 I 1 M 4 5.2 II 2 D 6 5.3 III 2+ 3a III+ 3b VD 8 5.4 3- 3b IV HVD 3 3c 10 5.5 IV+ 3c 5.6 3+ 4a S 4a 12 V- 4b HS 5.7 V 4 4a 4c VS 14 5.8 V+ 4+ 16 5.9 VI- 5 4c HVS 5.10a VI 5+ 5b 18 VB 5a 5.10b VI+ 6a 5c E1 19 V0- 5.10c VII- 6a+ 5b 6a E2 20 V0 5.10d 6b 5c VII E3 21 V0+ 5.11a 6b+ 6a VII+ V1 5.11b 6c 22 VIII- 6a V2 5.11c 6c+ E4 6b 23 5.11d VIII 7a V3 6a 24 5.12a E5 V4 VIII+ 7a+ 6c 5.12b 7b 25 V5 IX- 5.12c 7b+ 6b 26 V6 IX E6 5.12d 7c 6c 27 V7 5.13a IX+ 7c+ 28 V8 8a 6c 29 5.13b X- 7a E7 5.13c 8a+ 30 V9 X 6c 31 5.13d 8b 7a E8 V10 5.14a X+ 8b+ 7a 32 V11 7b E9 5.14b XI- 8c 7a 33 V12 E10 5.14c 8c+ 7b 34 XI V13 5.14d 9a 7c 35 XI+ E11 5.15a 9a+ 8a 36 V14 5.15b 9b 37 V15 5.15c V16

23 FOR CURRENT ROUTE INFORMATION, VISIT SUPERTOPO.COM

Camp 4 To the casual tourist, Camp 4 in Yosemite “Whilst on the surface Camp 4 can be seen as is nothing much – just a dusty, walk-in simply a flat field in some trees, to climbers, wherever they are, it is much more than that. campground. But this patch of dirt is It is where a climber knows he can find people Tsomething deeply meaningful to climbers. with the same passion. It is where issues of Following are a few words that touch on this concern to climbers can be openly discussed feeling. The first two quotes were inspired by without the formality of an organized debate… There is no other place in the world quite like the successful effort led by Tom Camp 4. If a cathedral is simply Frost to add Camp 4 to the a pile of stones and Camp 4 National Historic Register. only a field, then there is no Because of the hard work by understanding of what either of these mean to the people who Tom and many others, Camp are deeply involved.” 4 and the surrounding area Ian McNaught-Davis, remains undisturbed. President, International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation “Camp 4 was their spiritual “Camp 4 is important for home, their bastion against the what happened in terms outside world. There they met of El Capitan, but it is also others who had been through their own crises, important as a physical localization of the others who understood. There was a ritual entire mountaineering history of California, importance to life in this camp, this valley. A and that mountaineering history is not phrase that summed up their feeling was ‘living something peripheral in terms of the 19th at one with the dirt.’ And from the Christian century; it is one of the most profound ways idea of deliverance through toil, they spoke of that Californians encountered and defined to purification through suffering on the granite themselves what California was all about.” walls.”

Kevin Starr, California State Librarian

Chris Jones, climber Campfire in Camp 4. Photo Tom Evans

24 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS Above: Royal Robbins sorting gear for the first ascent of the Salathé Wall, El Capitan 1961. Photo Tom Frost

Left: Ben Blanton and Jason Lakey racking up in Camp 4.

Left corner: Climbers checking in at Camp 4. Photo Tom Evans Below: Camp 4 communication center.

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Route Index

A M T Atlantic Ocean Wall 106 Magic Mushroom 68 Tangerine Trip 116 Aquarian Wall 46 Mt. Watkins 160 Ten Days After 156 Aurora 112 Mescalito 92 Tis-sa-ack 176 Muir Wall 74 Tribal Rite 84 C Triple Direct 76 Cosmos 54 N D Native Son 110 V Dihedral Wall 50 Never Never Land 44 Virginia 116 Direct Northwest Face, New Dawn 86 W Half Dome 174 North America Wall 100 Wall of Early Nose, The 80 E Morning Light 90 Eagle’s Way 128 P Washington Column 140 El Capitan 32 Pacific Ocean Wall 96 West Buttress, El Capitan 42 El Corazón 72 Prow 154 West Face, Leaning Tower 186 El Niño 102 Wet Denim Daydream 188 Q Excalibur 56 Wyoming Sheep Ranch 104 Quantum Mechanic 158 Z F R Zenith 176 Flight of the Albatross 66 Re-Animator 152 Zenyatta Mondatta 120 Freerider 60 Regular Northwest Face, Zodiac 124 G Half Dome 170 Golden Gate 72 Regular Northwest Face, Gold Wall 30 Half Dome (free) 191 Grape Race 78 Reticent Wall 88 Ribbon Fall 26 H S Half Dome 166 Salathé Wall 58 Horse Chute 48 Scorched Earth 114 Sea of Dreams 98 I Secret Passage, The 128 Iron Hawk 108 Shield, The 70 J Shortest Straw, The 122 Jesus Built My Hotrod 190 Skull Queen 150 Son of Heart 62 L South Central 144 Leaning Tower 184 South Face, Libery Cap 180 Mt. Watkins 162 Lost Arrow Tip 134 South Face, Lost Arrow Spire Direct 138 Washington Column 148 Lost in America 118 South Seas 94 Lost in Translation 151 Southern Man 146 Lunar Eclipse 126 Southwest Face, Lurking Fear 40 Liberty Cap 182 Sunkist 64

206 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS

Low Impact Climbing in Vertical Wilderness By Jesse McGahey Climbing Ranger, Yosemite National Park

Sometimes called the “Granite Crucible” However, some climbers are still unaware of byS climbers, Yosemite has always been a place wilderness ethics, and a few others just seem not where concentrated forces interact to influence to care. The actions of this minority, intentional advances and developments, not just the or not, tarnish the image of the entire climbing techniques and equipment we use, but also the community and negate our efforts to maintain code of ethics we follow. John Muir, the father the wilderness character. In 2010 alone, of the American preservation movement and climbing rangers removed thousands of feet a Yosemite climber, bagged the first ascent of of fixed rope and several abandoned poop Cathedral Peak in 1869. In 1958 the father tubes from the walls, and–just from Camp of big-wall-wine-drinking and siege tactics, VI on The Nose–enough trash and human , first climbed El Cap via The waste to fill three large haulbags (and there is Nose route using thousands of feet of fixed still much more). They also removed dozens ropes, 45 days of climbing, and 125 bolts. of new fire rings constructed by climbers and Starting with the 2nd ascent of The Nose, Royal hundreds of pounds of garbage and abandoned Robbins, , Tom Frost, and equipment from the base and summit of others led the change from siege to “alpine” the Valley walls. Other park users and NPS tactics–fewer bolts, fewer fixed ropes, and fewer managers are sensitive to abuse of the park, pitons when “clean” protection is available. and unquestionably the best way to continue maintaining climber freedoms and limiting Designated as Federal Wilderness by Congress regulations is for us to join them as caretakers in 1984, Yosemite big walls have a higher of Yosemite. The following guidelines should be level of legal protection than the Valley floor. part of our ethics as climbers, but they are also The Wilderness Act mandates the National backed up by National Park Service regulations. Park Service (NPS) to protect wilderness Wilderness Permits and Camping character–distinguished by pristine undeveloped nature, self-reliance, unrestricted freedom Although Yosemite’s walls are within and adventure, no permanent structures or Wilderness, Wilderness Permits are not installations, and an absence of conveniences. required for overnight routes as of 2010. David Brower and other climbers helped shape However, camping anywhere else in designated this legislation. Brower, a prominent Yosemite Wilderness requires a Wilderness Permit, and mountaineer in the 30s and 40s, was the director all applicable Leave No Trace (LNT) principles of the in the 50s and 60s and his and rules must be followed: store food in bear leadership helped to win the passage of the Act canisters, camp and wash at least 100 feet from in 1964. The Yosemite climber should embrace trails and water sources, build campfires only the ideals of wilderness, and the development in established fire rings, bury human waste 6-8 of big wall ethics over the last half-century inches underground or pack it out, and carry show that, by and large, we have done so. out all trash. Spending the night on top of El Most climbers in Yosemite now minimize the Capitan after climbing a wall is considered placement of bolts and fixed ropes, they avoid part of the climb, but please follow the LNT using a hammer or altering the rock, they pack rules above and only build a fire in emergency out their human waste and garbage, and they situations. Trees are being stripped of branches volunteer to help keep Yosemite’s wilderness and dead-and-down wood is needed to clean and unaltered–preserving a high quality regenerate the scarce organic soils. experience for their fellow climbers today as well Camping at the base of any wall in Yosemite as climbers in the future. Valley–including El Capitan–is prohibited. This rule may seem unfair, but when you consider

18 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS CLIMBER IMPACTS

that the park gets over 4 million visitors a year • Go to the bathroom in a paper bag or in a including thousands of climbers, and that the prefabricated human waste disposal bag like a base of El Capitan is only a short walk from the Wagbag and then put that bag into a container road, it’s not hard to imagine the junk show to carry up the route. Ordinary plastic bags are that would ensue. Camping at the base of Half not a good option and should only be used in an Dome and other backcountry walls is allowed emergency. but only with a valid Wilderness Permit. For details about permits and low-impact • Carry your container down with you and guidelines, stop by the Wilderness Center discard paper bags into a pit toilet like those for a brochure, visit www.nps.gov/yose/ at the base of the East Ledges descent from El planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm or call 209/372- Capitan. Wagbags can be disposed of in bear- 0740. resistant dumpsters. Please do not drop plastic bags into pit toilets because they clog the pumps Human Waste aka “Big Wall Exit Strategies” used to empty the toilets. Climbers should be proud to have innovated the Big Wall “poop-tube” method of dealing with Every year we remove poop tubes abandoned on human waste. Long before the NPS required us routes or at the summit, bags of poo dropped to to do so, climbers realized that the old brown the base, and turds left in cracks (Camp VI on bomber, bag-it-and-toss-it system was both The Nose being especially gruesome). Packing disgusting and a health and safety concern. Here out your human waste from the summits and are a couple of tips for the right way to relieve bases of walls should become the accepted norm yourself in vertical wilderness: in the future. The solutions are there, so this pollution is completely avoidable!

Climber-generated refuse on Camp 6, The Nose. Photo NPS

19 CLIMBER IMPACTS

Abandoned/Unattended Property ground up or at least remove the lines when you are not using them. Property left unattended for longer than 24 hours can be impounded. If it is impractical Clean Climbing to return within 24 hours, leave ropes and Please respect “clean climbing” ethics equipment in place only as long as you are on all routes, long and short. Avoid nailing actively using them. Leaving your stash of gear, whenever possible and don’t drill new holes for ropes, and supplies on top of El Cap for your hook placements or chisel head placements. personal convenience and storage year after Never fabricate holds or change the nature of year is selfish and not acceptable. Imagine what established climbs. it would look like if every climber did the same, or if hikers were allowed to cache gear all over Bolting and New Routes the park! Label and date equipment, ropes, and Hand drilling protection or anchor bolts is water bottles with your contact information OK but motorized power drills are prohibited. if you have a reasonable plan to return to When you place a new bolt, keep in mind unattended equipment to avoid removal. that you are permanently altering the rock. Fixed Ropes If planning a new wall route, take the time to talk to the local Yosemite climbing community Ropes fixed on walls are treated the same and become familiar with the history of the way as other unattended property. If you fix area. Is your line really going to be that good? ropes, only do so immediately before beginning How much “gardening” will you have to do? your ascent, and remove them once committed (Intentionally removing plant life is prohibited to the route. If you plan to return to a project regardless of where you are in Yosemite.) Will regularly, leave your ropes in place only when anyone else ever climb it? New routes have a you are actively working the route. Do not leave profound impact on the environment around ropes or gear on popular routes–this takes away the route through permanent bolts, vegetation from the experience of other climbers, and loss, erosion at the base, and disturbing animal can potentially create unsafe conditions. Once habitat. The new route and bolting policies in again, the “alpine” style was initiated by Valley Yosemite are very liberal, especially considering climbers–check out the history of the Muir that most routes are in designated Wilderness. Wall or the South Face of Mt. Watkins later in The Wilderness Act states that there should be this book. no permanent installations, and disregard for The “established” fixed ropes below Heart the spirit of the law could cause the policy to Ledges, East Ledges, and on the Slabs approach change. There are hundreds of established wall to Half Dome are not maintained or condoned routes in Yosemite–is your first ascent really by the NPS. Do not expect these ropes to be worth the impacts? in place, and be prepared to climb or descend without them. Camp 4 getting "Facelifted" on The Nose, 2010. Photo courtesy NPS The recent popularity of big wall free-climbing has added thousands of feet of fixed rope to long routes. Free climbers often rappel in to work their routes, leaving the ropes in place for easy access. By the fall of 2010, after a busy climbing season, all but a few pitches of Salathé Wall/Freerider had been fixed by free climbers and most of the lines were still abandoned in place as winter approached. This behavior could ultimately lead to more restrictions. It’s amazing that there are now so many climbers able to free the Grade VIs, but consider waiting until you’re strong enough to attempt them

20 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS CLIMBER IMPACTS

Food Storage To maximize reproductive success, the NPS may close areas to climbing during the nesting Do not leave any food, drinks, toiletries, or season, typically March 1st through August trash at the base of the wall–bears deliberately 1st. In 2010 the El Capitan closure included seek food there because of climber trash and all routes between and including “South Seas/ food caches. While preparing for a wall you Pacific Ocean Wall”, “North America Wall,” east must store food and all scented items in bear- to “Native Son”. Routes four pitches or fewer, at resistant canisters or hang it at least 50 feet off the base of the Southeast Face, remained open. the ground on 5.10 or harder climbing. Think Climbers can expect similar closures wherever that’s overkill? I’ve seen bears climb 5.10 slab Peregrines choose to nest in future years. below Mescalito, 5.9 crack 50 feet up the first pitch of the Regular North West Face of Half Take Care of the Places You Love Dome, and paw up 5.6 hand jams two pitches Most of you reading this probably already up After Six. They weren’t climbing for fun follow these low-impact climbing principles, or adventure–they were risking their lives for and we thank you for leaving no trace. But Clif Bars and King Cobras. In short, if you can you’ve probably seen junk on The Nose, at the reach your food without climbing gear (even base of the Regular North West Face, or at the free-soloing), it is not summit of El Cap. stored correctly. Please help the park by Remember to educating your friends, remove all food, by picking up trash, scented items, and and by volunteering even empty wrappers in community from your car. Bears functions like the are attracted to a Yosemite Facelift mess–wrappers, beer (yosemiteclimbing. cans, and general org). disarray may provoke Unfortunately, the a bear to break in “easy” or entry-level to your vehicle to Peregrine Falcon. Photo courtesy NPS routes are the most investigate. Bear-proof abused. This is what the uninitiated climber lockers are available at El Capitan Bridge, at sees first, and hopefully he or she doesn’t take the Zodiac parking area (Devil’s Elbow), The this poor example as the norm. In 1976 Chris Ahwahnee Hotel, and , etc. (See Jones wrote in Climbing in North America, map.) Please do not place a lock on these “Whatever reason the unsuccessful climbers shared lockers. gave, and they ranged from equipment failure Peregrine Falcons to vitamin overdoses, the crux of the matter was people were still scared of big walls.” This During the FA of Sea of Dreams in 1978, is still true today, and if you are scared and Jim Bridwell, Dave Diegelman, and Dale Bard struggling on a big wall the last thing you care discovered a nesting pair of Peregrine Falcons– about is your environmental impact. Please be the first confirmed nest in the Park in 36 years patient–gain the skill to climb safely and with and the beginning of a remarkable recovery low impacts. It’s not just getting to the top that by this bird. Climbers have helped wildlife matters, it’s the trail you leave behind. biologists consistently since then to ensure the species survives. *Regulations may change and the park In 2009, 12 pairs were monitored in user is expected to be up to date. For the latest Yosemite, and they fledged 21 young. In 2010, information check nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/ for the first time since 1994, Peregrines nested climbing, supertopo.com/climbing/forum.php on El Capitan; the nest site (aerie), on the the Camp 4 kiosk, any Wilderness Center or the North America Wall, was last occupied in 1986. Mountain Shop.

21 FOR CURRENT ROUTE INFORMATION, VISIT SUPERTOPO.COM History What is YOSAR? By Butch Farabee YOSAR is an acronym–Yosemite Search And Trail Crew Supervisor, Jim Snyder. They were Rescue,Y the park’s highly respected, nationally deployed near Merced Lake. He suffered a recognized emergency response unit. (YOSAR bee sting and went into anaphylactic shock is an unofficial team name.) It was coined and urgently needed to be flown out from the in the fall of 1972 by then SAR Officer Pete nearby Ranger Station. Much to his chagrin, his Thompson. It was somewhat an after thought, age was discovered and he was separated from born of an ugly incident. his laborer position. Just after midnight on August 1, 1972, a This disaster, in addition to the barn and teenage recently-fired-but-still-want-to-be- animals, also consumed virtually all of the park employee set the Valley’s mountain government’s barn rescue equipment. Just afire. After torching as today, it was then the stacked hay, his the largest SAR cache intent was to rush in in the entire National and rescue the horses, Park System and one of become a hero, and the largest rural caches be welcomed back in the country. The as an NPS employee. NPS Regional Office It backfired–no quickly gave Thompson pun intended–and essentially a blank seventeen horses and check to replace ropes, mules died a horrible hardware, sleeping bags, death. Additionally, clothing, dry food, another seven nearby stoves, rain gear, tents, buildings were etc. Items like ‘biners, destroyed. (Total of specially ordered in approximately 20,000 orange, arrived by square feet.) Several the box load and the of these buildings park’s procurement were among the staff insisted Pete oldest historic needed to keep these structures still highly coveted items standing in the Valley: from wandering off, these included two ending up in someone’s that had been built haulbag. So, Pete during the Civilian quickly coined YOSAR, Conservation Corps- which was soon era and a couple built Jim "The Bird" Bridwell, de-facto head and king of YOSAR performing a stamped or stenciled far earlier yet by the rescue on El Cap in the 1970s. Photo Courtesy of NPS onto anything and U. S. Cavalry, when they guarded Yosemite. everything that would take the five letters. The barn was at the same spot the current In the mid-1980s, Joshua Tree National (2010) facility is and the other buildings were Monument adopted the term JOSAR for near where the present (2010) SAR cache is. its SAR team, and down through the years This fire, had it been in a large city setting, was other parks have made use of this, as well. So, significant enough to be a Three-Alarm Fire. what began as a simple but efficient way to The young man had in fact, recently been identify equipment, has evolved into a term employed earlier that summer on a park trail synonymous with professionalism and cutting- crew led by retired NPS Historian and former edge search and rescue.

22 YOSEMITE BIG WALLS SUPERTOPOS

there is a payoff: the deep reward of having taken nothing away from a route but the grin on your face. Ethics It is worth noting that although the Taking Care of terms “clean” and “hammerless” are used interchangeably in the rest of this book, here, a The Big Stone hammerless ascent means no hammer is carried, By Steve Grossman which is the height of commitment. As Bruce Carson wrote after the first clean and hammerless ascent of The Nose with Yvon Chouinard in 1974, “By leaving the hammer at home, the aficionado can regain the uncertainty and adventure of the first ascensionists.” My own hammerless, 25th anniversary ascent of the Big wall climbing has never been more popular. Muir Wall was one of the most adventurous BThere is a report that 90 individual headlamps climbs in my experience because the outcome were tallied one summer night on the Captain was in doubt to the last pitch! in 1999. With our numbers growing rapidly Once a hammer enters the picture the and traffic on some long routes becoming outcome becomes much more predictable intense, the need is glaring to adopt a low and the challenge is to use the least destructive impact wall ethic. Each party’s experience on a option. Tip-stacked and over-driven pitons top climb can be strongly affected by thoughtless the impact list with copperheads close behind. actions of previous ascents, be it trash, human Mastery of aid climbing requires confidence waste, pin scars, or fixed gear left on the wall. in your testing procedures. Learn to avoid the Route preservation warrants attention on extra couple of blows that exceed security and two levels: the preservation of the environment lead to more wear. Don’t use the pick on your and the level of challenge. Environmental hammer to drive copperheads; missed blows preservation includes obvious things such as mean instant flaring and beat placements. packing out trash and feces. It needs to extend Carry the necessary tools for properly placing to dealing with urine and junked climbing and cleaning heads. Try to use placements hardware. Yosemite’s modest summer rainfall that will not become fixed and will lower the and high climber traffic mean that some routes challenge for the next party. stink of piss all season long. Piss bottles should Lines of fixed copperheads and unnecessary be used. Climbers should also consider leaving drilling degrade the character of a route. extra space and containers in their “poop tubes” Reach inside yourself for the commitment to to remove trash left by others. Take the time push your limits and leave minimal impact. to remove old webbing, junked copperheads Take pride in our heritage as climbers; make and any other worthless fixed gear that you ingenuity and skill take precedence over encounter. expediency and force so that the challenge and Preserving climbing’s challenge requires adventure of big wall climbing will not become using placements with the least possible impact. lost. Little that I have said is new. Hugh Burton Today’s extensive array of climbing tools has in his 1975 “El Cap Update” proclaimed, “Our made hammered placements increasingly cliffs are an unrenewable resource. I know it’s unnecessary. Many of the climbs in this book been said before, but it’s got to be said again have been done cleanly. They will maintain and remembered if the climbs are to remain as their level of difficulty indefinitely if climbers they are: incredible!” substitute ingenuity for force. Clean aid climbing requires diligence and practice, but

Ammon McNeely and Ivo Ninov on their way to making the first one day ascent of Native Son (VI 5.9 A4). Photo John Dickey 27 FOR CURRENT ROUTE INFORMATION, VISIT SUPERTOPO.COM